Grooved Electrical Contact for Laser Welding Thickness Flexibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical connectors face limitations in laser welding due to the requirement for a 1:1.5 thickness ratio between the compacted section of the electrical connector and the mating contact, making it impossible to weld contacts of equal or slightly thinner thickness.
Innovation Solution
An electrical contact with a groove of reduced cross-sectional thickness is welded to a mating contact, allowing for a flexible thickness ratio, enabling welding of contacts that are slightly thinner, the same, or slightly thicker than the original contact, while maintaining high mechanical cohesion and minimal thermal impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If laser welding is performed on contacts with equal or slightly different thicknesses, then welding flexibility is improved, but welding through the mating contact cannot be effectively excluded
Solution Approach 1:
The contact features a groove at the welding location that creates a localized thickness reduction. This allows the contact to have different thickness characteristics at different locations: the groove area enables reliable welding even when overall contact thicknesses are similar, while other areas maintain the required thickness for electrical performance. The groove creates a localized welding zone that prevents welding through the mating contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The groove is pre-formed in the contact before the welding process. This preliminary structural modification prepares the contact for welding by creating the necessary thickness variation in advance, allowing the welding process to proceed reliably without requiring the mating contact to be significantly thicker than the overall contact thickness.
2Reliability
If a 1:1.5 thickness ratio is maintained between compacted section and mating contact, then welding through the mating contact is excluded, but welding of contacts with equal or slightly different thicknesses becomes impossible
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than requiring the entire mating contact to be 1.5 times thicker than the overall contact, the groove creates a localized thickness reduction only at the welding position. This means the mating contact can have the same overall thickness as the contact, but the groove ensures sufficient thickness differential at the specific welding location to prevent welding through.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the contact thickness is reduced to match thinner mating contacts, then welding flexibility is improved, but mechanical strength and electrical resistance consistency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The groove creates a localized thickness reduction only at the welding position, while the rest of the contact maintains its full thickness. This ensures that the contact retains sufficient mechanical strength and electrical conductivity in the non-welding areas, while the groove area provides the necessary thickness variation for reliable welding.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact structure is segmented into different thickness zones: the groove area with reduced thickness for welding, and the main body with full thickness for mechanical and electrical performance. This segmentation allows each zone to optimize its function without compromising the other.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution allows for reliable electrical connections in various environments by accommodating different thicknesses, ensuring consistent electrical resistance and mechanical strength without thermal disadvantages.
Implementation Method 1
Laser welding of a contact of an electrical connector to a mating contact has certain limitations in the prior art
Data Source
AI summary
A contact of an electrical connector is disclosed. The contact comprises a surface having a surface cross-sectional thickness and a groove formed in the surface having a welded cross-sectional thickness less than the surface cross-sectional thickness. The contact is welded to a mating contact of a mating electrical connector at the groove.